`Aryeh` pistachio tree

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of pistachio tree which is somewhat remotely similar to the `Kerman` pistachio tree, but from which it is distinguished in a number of respects including that it produces a high quality crop with many fewer hours of winter chilling, the configuration of the tree is more narrow and taller and by producing its crop which is mature for harvesting and shipment approximately one; week before that of the `Kerman` pistachio tree in Omer, Israel.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of pistachiotree, Pistacia vera, which will hereinafter be denominated varietally asthe `Aryeh` pistachio tree, and, more particularly, to a pistachio treewhich produces a crop of excellent quality ripening for commercialharvesting and shipment approximately August 18 to September 14 in Omer,Israel.

There are many characteristics which may make a particular plant varietycommercially attractive when compared with other varieties. This iscertainly true in the case of varieties of pistachio trees due, forexample, to the difficulty in many varieties in separating the kernelfrom the shell. The optimum condition for the pistachio nuts of a cropis to have all of the shells naturally open, or "split," and yet haveeach shell retain its kernel therewithin. This optimum objective is notachieved in any known variety. Accordingly, with respect to thiscriterion, various varieties of pistachio trees are compared by thepercentages of their respective crops in which this is achieved. Forexample, in the case of the `Kerman` pistachio tree this percentage isabout seventy-six percent (76%), by number.

Other criteria which may typically be considered in determining thecommercial attractiveness of varieties of pistachio trees include, forexample, the flavor of the kernels, their suitability for a variety ofcommercial uses, their ripening dates, their size and volume ofproduction as well as a multiplicity of other considerations. Of perhapsless typical consideration are criteria such as the capability ofproducing commercially acceptable crops under comparatively few hours ofwinter chilling the configurations of the trees as a function of theability to plant the trees with greater density. These latter criteriaare less typical largely because the characteristics in these respectsfor known varieties are substantially equivalent.

The new variety of the present invention appears to have superiorattributes in most, if not all, of these respects as well as others.

ORIGIN AND ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The present variety of pistachio tree hereof was discovered by theinventor in 1982 in his orchard which is located in Omer, Israel. Thevariety was discovered as a newly found seedling from an undefined, openpollinated female tree. In 1984 the new variety was first asexuallyreproduced by budding young rootstocks to the new variety. This has beenachieved on Pistachia atlantica and Pistachia vera rootstocks and by topworking some mature trees. The inventor has, since such asexualreproduction, continuously observed the asexually reproduced trees ofthe new variety and has found them to be in all respects identical tothe parent tree. The inventor has noticed that the tree of the newvariety budded on Pistachia atlantica rootstock to be perhaps slightlylarger than those budded onto Pistachia vera rootstock.

SUMMARY OF THE NEW VARIETY

The `Aryeh` pistachio tree is characterized by producing a crop ofexcellent quality which is ripe for commercial harvesting and shipmentapproximately August 18 to September 14 in Omer, Israel, or about oneweek earlier than the `Kerman` pistachio tree. The trees of the instantvariety are tall and narrow and are capable of producing a high qualitycrop with many fewer hours of winter chilling than is, for example, the`Kerman` pistachio tree. The crop produced by the instant variety isunder all climatic conditions of higher quality in most respects than isthe crop produced by the `Kerman` pistachio tree.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The drawing consists of three photographs of the new variety of thepresent invention including a first photograph, designated "FIG. 1,"showing mature fruit of the new variety growing on a branch thereof in atypical pattern; a second photograph, designated "FIG. 2," showingfoliage of the subject variety growing in a manner representativethereof; and a third photograph, designated "FIG. 3," showing maturefruit of the new variety including a first in its natural outer hull, asecond with the outer hull removed with the kernel left in place in theshell, a third wherein the kernel is whole and fully exposed having hadthe hull, shell and pellicle removed, a fourth in which the fullyexposed kernel has been separated along the suture thereof and laid opento expose the interior thereof, and a fifth in which the kernel with itspellicle in place has been sectioned along a plane substantiallyright-angularly related to the suture plane thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring more specifically to the botanical details of this new anddistinct variety of pistachio tree, the following has been observedunder the ecological conditions prevailing at the orchard of originwhich is located in Omer, Israel. All major color code designations areby reference to the Nickerson Color Fan produced by the Munsell ColorCompany Incorporated. Common color names are also occasionally employed.

TREE

Generally: The tree as described herein is twelve (12) years of age. Thetree was budded onto Pistachia atlantica rootstock.

Size -- height.--3.5m (11 feet). The tree is narrow and tall as comparedto other varieties of pistachio trees which permits more trees to begrown per unit of land area. This is an increase of ten percent (10%) totwenty percent (20%) of trees per unit of land as compared, for example,to what is possible with the `Kerman` pistachio tree. This permits anincrease in crop yield per unit of land area.

Size -- diameter.--2.3m (7.5 feet).

Vigor.--High.

Chilling requirements.--This variety can produce top quality nuts underclimatic conditions in which other known pistachio varieties of the samecategory cannot. For example, the `Kerman` pistachio tree requires atleast 800 hours of winter chilling (up to 7° C.) and preferably 1000 to1200 hours of winter chilling. The instant variety produces well at 500hours of winter chilling. If a dormancy breaking treatment is applied tothe trees, the new variety produces well with only 440 hours of winterchilling. This makes possible the production of pistachio nuts inexpansive geographical areas where pistachio nut production has notheretofore been possible because of insufficient hours of winterchilling. Similarly, the production of the instant variety ingeographical areas with more than 500 hours of chilling will be furtherenhanced as compared with other known varieties such as the `Kerman`pistachio variety.

Figure.--The trees of the new variety as described herein were trainedand shaped for hand harvesting; that is, with a low trunk of about 40cm(1.3 feet) in height.

Productivity.--The parent tree, in 12 consecutive years from the age of6 years until the age of 17 years, has yielded a total of 69.3 kilogramsof dry, in shell nuts. In the sixth year, the yield was 0.2 kilograms.In the seventeenth year, the yield was 10.3 kilograms. There is a clearpattern of alternate bearing. The asexually reproduced trees have hadthe same performance including the pattern of bearing and quantity ofyield.

Density.--Good.

Regularity of bearing.--Alternate.

Trunk: The tree was pruned and grown so that the trunk is 40cm (1.6feet) in height.

Diameter.--16cm (6.4 inches) at a height of 30cm (1 foot) above ground.

Surface texture.--Rather smooth.

Color.--5 YR (7/1).

Lenticels -- Numbers.--Numerous.

Lenticels -- Size.--1mm (0.04 inches) to 2mm (0.08 inches).

Branches:

Size.--Main Scaffold -- 30mm (1.2 inches) to 46mm (1.9 inches).

Surface texture.--Mature -- Rather smooth.

Color -- One year or older wood.--5 YR (8/1).

Color -- Immature branches.--7.5 Y (4/3).

Surface texture.--Immature growth -- Rather smooth.

Lenticels --numbers.--Quite a few.

Lenticels -- Size.--0.8mm (0.032 inches) to 1.8mm (0.072 inches).

LEAVES

Size:

Generally.--Compound. Mostly trifoliate, but there are also leaves of 1,2, 4 & 5 leaflets.

Foliage.--Abound.

Leaflets -- average length.--Of the central leaflet -- 9cm (3.6 inches)to 16cm (6.4 inches). Side leaflets -- 7cm (2.8 inches) to 12.5cm (5inches).

Leaflets -- average width.--Of the central leaflet -- 6cm (2.4 inches)to 13cm (5.2 inches). Side leaflets -- 4cm (1.6 inches) to 7cm (3inches).

Shape: Mostly oval. Slightly wavy. Minutely cuspidate.

Thickness: 0.3mm (0.012 inches) to 0.6mm (0.024 inches).

Color:

Upwardly disposed surface.--7.5 GY (4/4).

Downwardly disposed surface.--5 GY (4/3).

Marginal form:

Generally.--Almost entire.

Leaf vein:

Thickness.--Midrib, 2.3mm (0.092 inches) to 0.4mm (0.01.6 inches).Laterals, 0.5mm (0.02 inches) to 0.1mm (0.004 inches).

Color -- leaf vein: 2.5 GY (9/8).

Leaf glands: None to rare.

Petiole:

Length.--3.5cm (1.4 inches) to 7.5cm (3 inches).

Thickness.--3mm (0.12 inches) to 4mm (0.16 inches).

Color.--2.5 GY (8/9).

Petiolar sinus: 100° to 125°.

Stipules: None.

FLOWERS

Date of bloom: The receptive stigmas are present the first week ofApril. Thereafter, for ten to twelve days, progressively more receptivestigmas are present.

Bloom Amount: In accordance with alternate pattern of bearing, theamount of bloom is abundant in "on" years and less in "off" years.

Size:

Flowers.--Generally -- Each single flower 2mm (0.08 inches) to 3mm (0.12inches) in diameter.

Blossom.--Medium producing 20 to 50 nuts per cluster. The actual totalnumber of flowers in the blossom is much higher, but a large portionthereof never set fruit.

Petals:

Color.--Blooms -- green. Stigmas --white/cream.

FRUIT

Maturity when described: Selective, hand harvesting August 18 toSeptember 14. Mechanical harvesting around September 5 in Omer, Israel.The optimal set day for mechanical harvesting appears to be about oneweek earlier than the `Kerman` pistachio tree in Omer, Israel. InIsrael, the new trees of the instant variety mature and begin bearingfruit about one or two years earlier than do the new trees of the`Kerman` variety.

Productivity.--Good.

Distribution of nuts on tree.--Fairly well.

Tenacity.--Good.

Hull:

Texture.--Smooth, strong and juicy when young. Wrinkled, soft andtattered towards ripening.

Pits.--Very rare.

Form.--The shape of the nut.

Thickness.--Around 1mm (0.04 inches).

Suture.--Hardly a distinct one.

Color.--In May, half green (2.5 GY 3/9) and half reddish (2.5 R 6/11)with white dots. In August, turns yellow. At ripening the coloration iscream.

Dehiscence.--At ripening, cracks in irregular lines.

Tendency to crack.--No actual splitting by itself, but does crack orsplit according to the splitting endocarp.

Nut:

Generally.--Dry in shell. Quality of the nuts is excellent. Equals orabove that of the `Kerman` pistachio tree in almost all respects.

Average weight.--Dry in shell is 1.52 gr. In contrast, the averageweight in the case of the `Kerman` pistachio tree is 1.51 gr.

Size -- length.--22.2mm (0.888 inches).

Size -- width.--13.5mm (0.54 inches).

Size -- Thickness.--12.9mm (0.52 inches).

Form.--Oblong.

Color.--White/ivory.

Pits.--Very rare.

Base.--Rough.

Stem scar.--Rough

Apex.--Fully open (split).

Inner surface.--Smooth.

Split.--Over ninety percent (90%), by number, of the filled nuts arevery well. split. Almost ten percent (10%) are closed.

Percent by weight to kernel.--53.8%.

Percent by weight to shell.--46.2%.

Kernel:

Generally.--From dry, in shell nuts.

Size -- length.--19.8mm (0.792 inches).

Size -- width.--10.7mm (0.428 inches).

Size --thickness.--10.7mm (0.428 inches).

Form.--Oblong.

Thickness.--10.7mm (0.428 inches).

Apex.--Elongated.

Surface texture.--Smooth.

Kernel color.--Green (5 GY 6/8). Kernel is deep green all the waythrough.

Numbers of doubles produced.--Very few.

Flavor.--Excellent. The natural flavor is, in contrast, much better thanthat the kernels of the `Kerman` pistachio tree.

Eating quality.--Excellent.

Pellicle -- color.--Bright red.

Pellicle -- Thickness.--0.1mm (0.004 inches).

Pubescence.--None.

Use: All uses and forms from fresh to bakery and industrial foodproducts, but mainly as a snack food when roasted and salted.

Keeping quality: Very good.

Resistance to disease: Similar to the `Kerman` pistachio tree and othervarieties.

Harvesting: Hand harvesting on small family plots. Mechanical harvestingin large scale productions.

Shipping and handling qualities: Very good.

Although the new variety of pistachio tree possesses the describedcharacteristics noted above as a result of the growing conditionsprevailing in Omer, Israel, it is to be understood that variations ofthe usual magnitude and characteristics incident to changes in growingconditions, irrigation, fertilization, pruning, pest control, climaticvariation and the like are to be expected.

Having thus described and illustrated my new variety of pistachio tree,what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Plant Letters Patentis:
 1. A new and distinct variety of pistachio tree substantially asillustrated and described which is somewhat remotely similar to the`Kerman` pistachio tree, but from which it is distinguished in a numberof respects including that the trees are capable of producing a highquality crop with many fewer hours of winter chilling, the trees aremore narrow and taller permitting the trees to be planted with greaterdensity and by producing its crop which is mature for commercialharvesting and shipment approximately one week before the `Kerman`pistachio tree in Omer, Israel.